The Centre for Victorian Studies
Research degrees
The Centre for Victorian Studies at Leicester has a lively community of doctoral students, who register with the department most connected with their research topic (English or History).
Recent theses emerging from the Centre include:
- The Medical Women’s Federation: 1879-1948
- The Politics of Female Plainness in British Women’s Writing, 1830-1867
- Dickensian Domesticity in Nineteenth-Century Theatrical Adaptations of the Novels
- Reshaping Dinosaurs: The Popularisation of Palaeontology in Anglo-American Culture, 1877–1921
- 'The Sympathy of a Crowd': Periodicals and the Practices of Natural History in Nineteenth-Century Britain
- Elizabeth Gaskell, Citizen of the World: Civic Lessons
- The Early Journalism of Eliza Meteyard
- The Dream Debate and the Periodicals of the 1860s
- The Suicide Question in Late-Victorian Gothic Fiction: Representations of Suicide their Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts
- The Contribution of Elizabeth Blackwell to Sex Education, 1849-1910
- ‘Theatres of War’: An Exploration of the Experiences of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals Serbian Units during the Great War 1914-1920
The Centre is a major hub for research, and we offer expert supervision by nationally and internationally recognised scholars. Our integrated arrangements for supervision, training, and academic seminars combine with a strong staff profile and energetic student body to provide an excellent environment for research and learning. We welcome applications dealing with any aspect of Victorian Studies from suitably qualified candidates with a good first degree in a relevant subject. Assessment for the degree of PhD is by thesis and final oral examination.
Facilities for research students
The University Library, established in 1922, offers first-rate provision for research in Victorian Studies. It is particularly strong in sources for the study of 19th-century literature. Special collections include Victorian periodicals such as Punch and first or early editions of key texts. Research students can make use of the Doctoral College Reading Room which is located on Floor 1 of the Library, and the Philip Collins Room in Attenborough Tower.
Students also gain access to a number of electronic resources. Beyond eBooks and articles, the Library also gives access to a number of databases such as Nineteenth Century British Pamphlets, Nineteenth Century UK Periodicals, and Gale Research Complete.
Research training
Research students are closely and expertly supervised on an individual basis by a main supervisor and a second supervisor, or sometimes jointly. Additionally, all students take a one-semester seminar course on research methods, bibliography, and writing skills.
The Doctoral College provides comprehensive research training.
Application and registration
If you are interested in applying, please view information about Research Degrees at The University of Leicester. Download and save the Research Proposal Form and prepare your proposal using the guidance on the form. The Centre can provide supervision for individual research projects (full-time or part-time) on many topics within Victorian Studies. Research students are normally admitted as Advanced Postgraduate Students, and transfer at a later stage to the degree of either MPhil or PhD.
Minimum and maximum periods of registration are:
|
Degree |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|---|---|---|
|
PhD full-time |
2 years |
4 years |
|
PhD part-time |
3 years |
6 years |
|
MPhil full-time |
1 year |
2 years |
|
MPhil part-time |
2 years |
4 years |
To find out more about research degrees, please contact:
-
+44 (0)116 252 2683